Shocking figures show cops charged just 7% of violent criminals last year

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FEWER than seven in 100 violent crimes saw anyone charged last year, damning data shows.

That has plummeted from more than one in five suspected crimes heading to a courtroom just six years ago.

The Home Office claims the pandemic has significantly affected crime figures with a 13 per cent fall in total police recorded crime

Almost 1.67 million violent offences were reported to have taken place in the year to March 2021 but just 139,805 thugs faced the rap.

In 238,000 of the crimes probed by cops, no suspect was even identified.

Of 55,227 robberies reported, just 6,800 charges were brought, with no suspect identified in more than two thirds of cases.

The Home Office stats for England and Wales out this week, detail charge rates for violent offences dived from 22 per cent in 2014/15 to just 6.8 per cent in 2020/21.

Shockingly the charge rate for rape has hit just 1.5 per cent of those reported.

Sarah Jones, shadow policing minister, said: “Under Conservatives, criminals have never had it so good.

“It is shocking so many crimes don’t even lead to a charge and victims of the most serious violent offences, like rape, are being denied justice.

“Labour would put victims first, boost community policing and bring criminals to justice.”

The Home Office said the pandemic has “significantly affected” crime figures with a 13 per cent fall in total police recorded crime, excluding fraud.

While theft stats plunged in lockdown, there was no reduction in violent crimes.

But officials insist year-on-year comparisons have been made more “challenging” by the impact of Covid.